Sargent, the new project from singer Gretchen Lieberum and her collaborator Jake Blanton (The Killers, Beck), have released her self-titled debut today. To celebrate the release, Sargent has also shared a new visual accompaniment for track "Miracles and Light". Directed by Kirk Woodward Nelson, the video premiered today on Stereogum. Gretchen says of the track, "this song is a great example of how my songwriting partner and producer, Jake Blanton, and I would combine our different sensibilities to create something new. I knew I wanted the second half of the song to open up musically and Jake helped accomplish that by adding many different layers on top of the piano track, creating a powerful and emotional sound."
Share "Miracles and Light" Video via Stereogum
Sargent is abundant in levitating lullabies and heart-ached ballads backed by cabaret-pop born of vintage instruments. Though not classically trained, Lieberum was raised on the strains of Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone, and Billie Holiday. Given the shorthand she shared with Jake, she would simply hum a melody to him and he would help craft the chords around it on a rickety, old upright piano that would come to be their secret weapon. With Jake leaving to tour with bands such as The Killers, and Gretchen becoming pregnant with her son, the project took a hiatus, despite creating many near-completed songs. Long obsessed with Prince, Gretchen and actress-singer Maya Rudolph debuted Princess in 2011. By combining their formidable pipes to cover Prince's catalog, their sincere fandom in full show, the duo instantly became the most famous Prince cover band on the planet, playing everywhere from Carnegie Hall to The Tonight Show.Videos